Facebook Launches Nearby Friends – What It Means For The Social Media Site?

With Facebook’s newly inaugurated opt-in feature called Nearby Friends, users will be able to locate how far or near their friends are. The new tool will be available to both Android and iOS consumers. After taking a quick look at the working mechanism of the new tool, it can be said that Facebook is trying new social apps to improve consumer experience. Maybe Facebook is trying new development initiatives that can make its user’s life more convenient.

Some analysts, however, believe it might be Facebook’s another strategy to increase the use of its social media platform. Facebook already has billions of users worldwide. Most of them belong to the group of people who love to socialize. If the social media site can’t offer them new opportunities to tempt their inclination for networking, its competitors are sitting tight to grasp the opportunity and knock it down.

How Facebook is going to Get Benefits from The Newly Launched Site Feature?

Facebook understands the dynamic market scenario where users expect new products or product feature developments every now and then. What’s the use of high tech smart devices by the way? People love them for their amazing and versatile usability. Facebook can’t be restricted to simple like, share and comment feasibility options. The market is growing and so the user’s expectation. The social media site is very much aware of the fact. So, if Facebook has to retain its vast user base, or draw attention of the advertisers, it has to evolve as an innovative social media platform with new features and site usability ideas from time to time.

Because of being highly dependant on the revenues coming from the advertising area, Facebook tries its best to keep its user base intact and increase consumer engagement. This is why the social media company always finds out ways to maintain its consumer’s interest through new tools or site improvement ideas. Making collaboration with online game development companies and acquiring instant messaging service provider like WhatsApp – all were part of the company’s product development and innovation plan. Now when Facebook has built this real time location sharing feature, it’s time to see how its users react to the idea of networking simplification.

Facebook followers believe “Nearby Friends” is going to be a good networking tool for people who wish to stay in touch with their friends group. People will have the privilege to locate friends in their close proximity. However, if users don’t simply want to use it, they don’t have to. Consumers will have the option to turn on Nearby Friends as per requirement. The feature will be available only to users above 18 years old. Once a Facebook follower signs up for the tool, detailed step by step guide will be available.

From the business point of view, Facebook doesn’t admit using this new function to target ad in the near future. Facebook’s product manager Andrea Vaccari was found to say that they don’t intend to use any of the data for a purpose outside the app. However, it’s clear that the location data, which is going to be available to Facebook through this new function, will be very useful for both the users and the businesses.